Long-awaited gold in a career
The highlight of the day was Meyers Taylor's victory in the monobob. At her fifth Olympics, she won her first Olympic gold at 41, becoming the oldest champion in the history of the Winter Games in the USA.With a time of 3:57.93, she beat German Laura Nolte by just four hundredths of a second. The bronze medal went to another American, Kaillie Humphries, marking her sixth Olympic medal, thus tying her with the famous speed skater Bonnie Blair.
Additionally, Taylor and Humphries became the first women over 40 to stand on the Olympic podium in bobsledding, highlighting rare athletic longevity.
Slalom: struggle and triumph of the Swiss
The men's slalom took place under challenging weather conditions, leading to numerous athletes failing to finish. In this "survival race," Swiss Loïc Meillard claimed victory with a time of 1:53.61.Photo Getty Images.
The silver medal was won by Austrian Fabio Gstrein, while the bronze went to Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen.
Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath experienced real drama: after a mistake on the final descent, he missed the chance to win a medal and left the course in distress, disappearing into the woods, as reported by the media.
Experts note that weather conditions at these Games increasingly affect results, and the ability to handle stress is becoming a key quality for champions.
Netherlands: gold in an unpredictable form
In women's short track at the 1000 meters distance, Dutch Xandra Velzeboer won, showing a time of 1:28.437 and securing her second gold of the tournament.
Photo Getty Images.
The silver medal went to Canadian Courtney Sarault, while the bronze was claimed by South Korean Kim Gilli.
For the Netherlands, which is traditionally strong in classic speed skating, success in short track is particularly significant as the team expands its influence in ice disciplines.
Big Air: Canadian triumph and star's return
In women's freestyle big air, Canadian Megan Oldham won, beating Chinese Gu Ailing by just 1.75 points.The competition in Livigno was delayed for more than an hour due to strong winds and snowfall, and one of the favorites, Swiss Mathilde Gremaud, withdrew after a thigh injury during warm-up.
Gu has already won her second silver at these Games, having previously finished second in slopestyle.
Figure skating: new world record
The Japanese pair Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara won gold medals in pair skating and set a new world record, scoring 158.13 points in the free program. Despite a poor performance in the short program, their total score was 231.24 points, giving them a significant lead over their competitors.
In the center: Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (Japan), left Anastasia Metelkina and Luka Berulava (Georgia), right Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin (Germany). Photo EPA/Shutterstock.
The silver medal went to Anastasia Metelkina and Luka Berulava from Georgia with a score of 221.75 points — this is Georgia's first medal at the Winter Olympics since they began participating in 1994.
Third place went to Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nikita Volodin from Germany, who led after the short program with a total of 219.09 points.
Hockey: final with Canada on the horizon
The U.S. women's national team confidently advanced to the final of the Olympic hockey tournament, continuing its rivalry with Canada.
Photo Getty Images.
This match became a true "classic" of women's world hockey, as the teams regularly meet in the final stages of major tournaments.
Medal summary: favorites strengthen positions
At the midpoint of the second week of the Games, several trends can be highlighted:- experienced athletes continue to win alongside young ones;
- weather conditions are increasingly affecting the course of competitions;
- the geography of medals is gradually expanding, although traditional "winter" powers still set the tone.
The tenth day of the Olympics demonstrated that the decisive week of the tournament will be built on a fragile balance between experience and audacity. More and more often, those who can wait and seize their one chance are winning.
